Polycystic ovarian syndrome awareness among females in Palestine: a cross-sectional study

Abstract

Background and objectives: Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the most common endocrine disorders in fertile women. Limited data exists regarding Palestinian’s women awareness and understanding about PCOS. Therefore, we conducted this study to assess the knowledge, awareness and health-related practices of PCOS amongst the Palestinian women.

Material and methods: Our cross-sectional study was conducted among the female population of Palestine, over the age of 18 years. The convenience sampling method was used to select the participants. A self-constructed questionnaire was used to interview regarding PCOS knowledge, awareness, causes, symptoms, prevention, complication and treatment. The date entry and statistical analysis was performed on STATA (V1).

Results: A total of 1374 participants were randomly selected and invited to participate, most of them agreed, resulting in a response rate of 99.7%. The largest age group was 25–34 years (36.2%), followed by 18–24 years (33.5%). Awareness of the term PCOS had a mean score of 1.33 (SD = 0.74), indicating that most participants had heard of PCOS. Age was significantly associated with PCOS awareness (F = 3.67, P = 0.007), with participants aged 35–44 years having the highest mean awareness score (M = 1.87, SD = 0.64). Marital status also showed a significant association with awareness (F = 9.30, P = 0.001), as did residency (t = 3.30, P = 0.001). Educational level demonstrated a significant impact on awareness (F = 51.34, P = 0.001), and current work status was another significant factor affecting awareness (F = 52.22, P = 0.001).

Conclusion: The level of PCOS awareness in the study sample was generally less substantial and inadequate in accuracy. As a result, increasing awareness of PCOS among females in the Palestine is crucial for promoting early diagnosis and improving patient outcomes.